Yan Chunze

A Nanosilica/Nylon-12 Composite Powder for Selective Laser Sintering

Nanosilica was used to reinforce the selective laser sintering (SLS) parts of nylon-12. A dissolution—precipitation process was successfully developed to prepare a nanosilica/nylon-12 composite powder (containing 3 wt% nanosilica) for SLS process. The dispersion of nanosilica in the SLS specimens of the composite powder was examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), and the effects of nanosilica on the thermal and mechanical properties of the SLS parts were investigated. The results show that: nanosilica disperses uniformly on a nano-scale level in the SLS parts of the composite powder; nanosilica has a heterogeneous nucleation effect on nylon-12; the composite powder has much higher thermal stability than neat nylon-12; the tensile strength, tensile modulus, and impact strength of the SLS specimens made from the composite powder are 20.9, 39.4, and 9.54% higher than those of neat nylon-12 SLS specimens, respectively, and the elongation at break decreases by about 3.65%.

Polymer based composites for selective laser sintering 3D printing technology

Selective laser sintering (SLS) is a powder-based laser fusion 3D printing process. Materials play a decisive role in the dimensional accuracy and mechanical properties of SLS parts. Among the applied materials, polymers are the first, and still the most widely and successfully used, SLS materials; however, the limited variety and lower performance of SLS polymeric materials continue to be a challenge. Attempts have been made to enhance certain performance or increase the variety of SLS materials by reinforcing them with micro-sized/nano-sized fillers or with the post-processing method of in ltrating, which is currently a focus of materials research in the SLS field. This article introduces the preparation methods of polymer-based composites for SLS, reviews the current research situation at home and abroad, and discusses future development trends in this field.